Always
by spyder-m
Summary: She could always turn to him for comfort, for sollace, even over what felt like the smallest, most insignficant things... Rangiku reflects upon the relationship she shares with Shuuhei, and the one she used to share with Gin. ShuuRan. Revised.


A/N: Just a quick little oneshot I threw together based on Rangiku's thoughts on her relationship with Shuuhei and how it contrasts with the one she had with Gin. This might seem a little Anti-GinRan but I'm not actually against that pairing in any way. I can see why people like it, I've just never personally gotten into and well, given that Gin is now one of the main antagonists of Bleach, I don't really see it working out. But whatever, I digress.

Hope you like this!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. I do own Peroxide though. :D

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Always

She could always count on him.

She could always turn to him for comfort, for sollace, even over what felt like the smallest, most insignficant things. Somehow, no matter what the situation, or how low she felt like she had fallen, he never failed to cheer her up. Whenever she needed someone to confide in, whenever she needed to vent her emotions or just simply wanted to break away from the stressful, constricting daily routine of a Lieutenant, he was always there for her.

When she thought about it, what he did was simple really. It wasn't the aimless discussions of how the duties and missions of their individual squads were going that provided her with reassurance. It wasn't his offers to walk her back to her Division or assist her with the hours of dreaded paperwork that no doubt would await her when she returned that left her with a strong sense of contempt. It wasn't his actions at all that consoled her but his mere presence alone. Just the sheer knowledge that he would always help and support her, without showing the slightest sign of hesitation.

She would always be able to rely on him.

Perhaps that was what had attracted her to him.

Hisagi Shuuhei...

It really did help that he was nothing like Gin; the man who had just seemed to distance himself from her the whole time she'd known him. The significant disparity between the two was something that assisted Rangiku considerably with coming to terms with her past.

Whenever Rangiku turned to others for comfort, it seemed that the typical object of her depression somehow always managed to rear its ugly head; one particular case was with Kira. While she enjoyed the time she spent with him he was, in the end, still Gin's subordinate, and harboured a monumental amount of grief over the loss of his Captain. Grief much like her own. It was beyond his control, but Kira would always remind her of the one that had abandoned the both of them in the first place; the man who was usually the initial subject of their conversation and from there on in, became an all encompassing affliction that even their seemingly limitles supply of sake failed to alleviate.

But with Shuuhei there was just something about him, something that helped her forget about her long time friend, Ichimaru Gin.

Perhaps it was his eyes; his sharp, grey pools that always remained open, giving her a clear passage to his alluring, vulnerable soul. His eyes differed greatly from Gin's and not only in the way they appeared. Gin's eyes were a bright, vivid blue in comparison. He rarely opened them, something that accurately reflected the relationship she shared with him. She had known him since she was a child, he had saved her and given her life a second chance. Yet throughout the entire time she had known him, he remained a complete enigma to her. He always appeared hesistant to open up to her, constantly falling into the habit of separating himself from her more and more as they grew older.

Yet, in her conversations with Shuuhei, he wouldn't show any the slightest form of reluctance when confiding in her, revealing his doubts and uncertainties about the future or his abilities out on the battlefield. He allowed her to witness his susceptibilities, and because of that, established an intimate, caring relationship between the two of them, taking their connection and friendship in a completely different direction to that of the one she had shared with her childhood friend.

Ichimaru Gin...

There had always been something odd about his expression. More specifically, the way he smiled.

Gin would smile constantly. His smiles, however, never seemed to radiate any form of sincere exuberance or cheer. They were always puzzling, awkward expressions that didn't seem to accurately reflect the man's true emotions at all. Most of the time they seemed forced, like he was lying directly to all of those around him without even saying a word; and given his eventual defection from and betrayal of Soul Society, this had most likely been the case. Gin would smile with his mouth, yet his eyes remained closed. It was if he never allowed a genuine expression of happiness to cross his face.

However, with Shuuhei it was different.

He didn't smile often, his expression usually remained fairly calm and composed. Yet whenever he did, whenever one of those rare moments arose, he didn't just smile with his mouth, his entire face would light up... He would smile with his eyes. Often at her...

His eyes would hold a heart-warming, genuine expression filled with the love and devotion he felt for her. It was infectuous; something that upon seeing Rangiku herself couldn't help but return. Because she knew it was a smile that was just for her...

For someone who at first glance appeared to be an incredibly silent and morose individual, Shuuhei had the potential to become very animated and lively around those he was close with; something Rangiku had discovered after many nights the two spent together.

He was a man who was open and honest, an individual known to wear his emotions on his sleeve.

As the Lieutenant of the Ninth Division, he was someone who was strong, fierce and often merciless in the heat of battle. A man who had been the victim and culprit behind many battlescars. Yet as Hisagi Shuuhei, he spoke of the doubts that consumed him, but didn't even have the time to acknowledge, while fighting for his life. He maintained a virtuous attitude and tended to avoid resorting to violence unless absolutely necessary.

They hadn't exactly had a long lasting relationship that began in their innocent childhood. She hadn't even really known him that well until they had both become Lieutenants. But in the time they had spent together, she could tell that a strong, loving bond had been formed between them.

In the end, Rangiku likened her attraction to Shuuhei to his most prominent difference to Gin.

He had left her...

Gin had betrayed her and the entirety of Soul Society in the blink of an eye.

But Shuuhei was still here.

He was the one who was guiding her when she needed it the most, even when he had every reason to be on the verge of the breakdown himself. He showed her love and devotion, and allowed her to experience a prone, unguarded side of him that most of other men would be afraid to reveal. While Gin had spent years of her life, remaining impassive, and unreadable to her; always falling back into his old habit of leaving her and never even mentioning where he was going; she found him. Someone who gave her everything she had ever wanted in her childhood friend.

Hisagi Shuuhei...

She had no doubt he would always be there for her.

She knew in her heart he would always be there to stay.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! Please R&R and let me know what you liked, what you didn't like etc. I'm open to constructive criticism! Your feedback helps me improve. :D


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